Tiltable cradle



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1956 M .3 M0 H {H M we N T I. A AP N 0 My B 7 L N \J M u w J March 17, 1959 A. F. GROLL TILTABLE CRADLE Filed Aug. 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ed NTV/ T |||||a|| IIIIIIIIIIFIFLI.

mmvmx. AL V//V F GROLL A ORNEY! United States Patent F TILTABLE CRADLE Alvin F. Groll, Napoleon, Ohio Application August 23, 1956, Serial No. 605,732

6 Claims. (Cl. 24278.7)

Strip metal, usually steel, from which shapes are to be cut by power presses is supplied in coils the outside diameters of which may be 4% feet, more or less. The widths of the strip stock range from a few inches to 2% feet or more and the weight of a coil may be as much as fifteen thousand or twenty thousand pounds.

Automatically controlled power presses and even those that are controlled manually or by foot pedals cut the shapes from the strips with great rapidity. Because of the high cost of huge power press installations and the high cost of operating them, it is important that the time taken for replacing coils that have become exhausted be kept at a minimum. A fresh coil should be in place, aligned and ready to roll into such position that the fresh strip can be threaded through the processing mechanism closely after the tail of the strip that is being used up.

In many power press installations, the frames of the presses are inclined or inclinable so that the top of the bed or bolster and the top of the stationary die block, instead of lying in horizontal planes, slope rearwardly and the slide that carries the punching or forming die moves upwardly and downwardly at an angle to the vertical. Hence, when the dies discharge the work into the top of the bed, the pieces drop automatically through an opening in the back of the press. Thus the time that would be required to remove the stampings by hand is saved and the danger to the operator that would be incurred by hand removal is eliminated.

Coils of strip metal to be unwound as shapes are cut from the metal usually are supported in so called cradles with a coil in each case either resting upon a pair of rollers or upon a short conveyor type chain or belt that pass around a pair of rollers; or the center opening of the coil may be engaged by a pair of revoluble cones. In any case, the coil is turnable on its axis as the strip of metal is being unwound therefrom.

The strip, as it is unwound from the coil in the cradle, usually passes through a straightening device (which may be mounted on the frame of the cradle) and a step by step feeding device (which may be mounted on the frame or the bed or bolster of the power press).

Fresh coils usually are loaded into cradles from so called ramps that are so located that coils can be rolled therefrom into proper position in the cradles.

In an installation where the axis upon which a coil turns remains horizontal while the coil is shifted from a ramp into a cradle and while the coil is being unwound and the strip is passing along a horizontal plane through a feeder and into a power press, the coil can be handled expeditiously and with little danger or difficulty with apparatus heretofore common and commercially available. But in an installation where the press is inclined to facilitate the discharge of punched and/or formed pieces therefrom, the feeder, the straightener and preferably the cradle all should be inclined so that the strip will not be twisted after it is unwound from the coil and before it is processed in the power press.

Heretofore the practice has been to permanently incline the feeder, the straightener and the cradle at the same angle as that to which the power press is inclined. When this practice was followed, it was necessary to tip 2,877,961 Patented Mar. 17, 1959 each coil as it was loaded into the cradle, it being impracticable to roll the coils about with their axes tipped at angles to the horizontal.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a cradle into which coils can be loaded from a ramp or from elsewhere while their axes are horizontal and from which strips can be threaded through straighteners, feeders and presses along a plane that is inclined to the horizontal, without twisting the strips.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cradle that is instantly convertible from condition for supplying strip metal to an inclinable power press the bolster and die block of which are in rearwardly sloping position to condition for supplying strip metal to a power press the bolster and die block of which are horizontal.

Other objects and many advantages of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following specification as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is an end elevational view of a cradle embodying my invention, the cradle being shown in condition to supply strip metal to a power press, the bolster and die block of which are sloped rearwardly;

Fig. II is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by a line and arrows Il-II of Fig. III, the cradle in Fig. II being shown in condition to supply strip metal to a power press, the bolster and die block of which are horizontal; and

Fig. III is a side elevational view of the cradle embodying my invention.

These drawings and the following description are intended to illustrate and describe the invention but not to impose limitations upon its scope.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the frame 1 of the cradle has side members 2 and 3 journaled in which and extending between which are rollers 4 and 5 to turnably support a coil of strip steel or other metal (not shown). Either or both of the rollers 4 and 5 may be free to turn as a coil resting upon them is unwound; or either or both of the rollers may be power driven to positively turn the coil. Since the structure of such rollers, their journals and motors gearing for turning them are well known and not per se of this invention, this mechanism is not shown in detail.

For the purpose of keeping a coil resting upon the rollers 4 and 5 from shifting axially and for keeping such a coil properly oriented a disc 6 secured to a spider 7 which is fixed upon a freely rotatable shaft 8 is so located within the cradle that the side of a coil may lie against the disc. The rotatable shaft 8 may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly to accommodate the disc 6 for engagement by a coil of greater or lesser width and to locate such coil properly transversely of the cradle. A flat faced member 9 is fixed to a bracket 10 which is adjustably mounted upon a plate 11 welded or otherwise secured to the side member 2 of the frame 1 so that the flat faced member 9, while remaining parallel to the disc 6, can be positioned at such distance from the disc 6 as to prevent the coil from twisting or toppling away from the disc. The bracket 10 is held in adjusted position by a bolt 10:: that passes through a slot in the bracket and a hole in the plate 11. When the bolt 10a is loosened the bracket 10 can he slid toward or away from the disc 6. The shaft 8 is mounted in a sleeve 8a which fits into a semi-cylindrical notch 3a in the upper edge of the side member 3 of the cradle frame 1. The sleeve can he slid axially in the semi-cylindrical notch to adjust the position of the shaft 8 and the disc 6. The sleeve is held in place by any conventional means such as a hold-down strap 8b. Alternatively the spider 7 may be freely rotatable on a shaft 8 which is adjustable endwise in the sleeve 80.

Instead of being permanently installed in the condition in which the cradle is shown in Fig. I (or in the condition in which the cradle is shown in Figs. II and III), the cradle of my invention is provided with trunnions 12 and 13 which are anchored to the floor and upon which the cradle is tiltable about the pivots 12a and 13a from the position in which it is shown in Fig. I to the position in which it is shown in Figs. II and III, and vice versa. The trunnions l2 and 13 are so located that when the cradle is tilted to the position in which it is shown in Fig. I, the center of mass of the cradle, the mechanism carried thereby and any coil carried therein falls between the pivotal axis of the trunnions and a flat 14 formed along the bottom 15 and one side member 3 of the frame 1.

When the cradle is retilted on the trunnions 12 and 13 to the position in which it is shown in Figs. II and III, the center of mass of the cradle and whatever parts and load are carried thereby moves over so that the line of direction falls between the trunnions 12 and 13 and a foot 16 which extends downwardly from the bottom 15 of the frame. Thus the cradle is stable when tilted to either position.

Force for tilting the cradle from one position to another is provided by a double acting air cylinder 17, one end of which is pivotally anchored to the floor by means of bracket 18 while a piston rod 19 extends from the other end of the cylinder, the end of the piston rod 19 being pivoted by means of a yoke 20 and a pin 21 to a plate 22 which is fixed across the upper portion of the frame 1 beyond the radius of any coil to be unwound in the cradle.

Strip steel unwound from the coil in the cradle may pass through a separately installed straightening device but I prefer to mount a straightening device on the same frame with the coil supporting orienting mechanism so that when the frame is tilted the coil and the straightening device will both be tilted to the same degree. The straightening device 23 may be of any desired type and I have therefore not shown it in detail. It is mounted on an extension 24 of the frame 1 so that whatever tilt is imparted to the frame and to the coil in the cradle also is imparted to the straightening device.

Operation The cradle of my invention as shown in Fig. I, is tilted to a position for supplying strip material from a coil through a straightener to a press which punches shapes from the metal while the metal is sloping downwardly and rearwardly from a horizontal plane. When the coil in the cradle is exhausted and a replenishing coil is to be rolled into the cradle, air is admitted to the lower end of the air cylinder 17. The air forces the piston rod 19 outwardly and tilts the cradle (as well as the straightening device 23) into the position in which they are shown in Figs. II and III.

If the strip of metal in the new coil is wider or narrower than the strip of the coil which is being replaced, the spacing between the disc 6 and the fiat faced member 9 should be changed.

The new coil can be easily and quickly rolled from a ramp or floor into the cradle without encountering the difiiculty and danger to which an operator is subjected if he must wrestle a heavy coil into a tilted condition to shift it from a horizontal ramp or floor into a tilted cradle.

When the coil has been rolled into the cradle, air is admitted into upper end of the double acting air cylinder 17 to pull the piston rod inwardly and tilt the cradle to the position in which it is shown in Fig. I whereupon the coil nestles against the disc 6 in proper position and orientation for the strip to be unwound, straightened and fed into the inclined press without twisting.

It is to be understood that the device described in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is exemplary only and that it is subject to modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a cradle for holding a coil of strip metal to be unwound as it is fed into a power press, in combination, a frame, means carried by said frame for supporting a coil of strip metal for axial rotation, trunnion means about which said frame is tiltable, means cooperating with said trunnion means for supporting said frame in a stable condition with the axis of rotation of such coil substantially horizontal, means cooperating with said trunnion means to support said frame in an alternative stable condition with the axis of such coil at an angle to the horizontal, means for tilting said frame from the first mentioned stable condition into the alternative stable condition, and adjustable means for keeping such coil properly oriented and preventing axial shifting thereof when said frame is tilted.

2. In a cradle for holding a coil of strip metal to be unwound as it is fed into a power press, in combination, a frame, means carried by said frame for supporting a coil of strip metal for axial rotation, trunnion means about which said frame is tiltable, a foot coopcrating with said trunnion means for supporting said frame in a table condition in which the axis of rotation of such coil is substantially horizontal and a vertical line extending downwardly from the center of mass of said frame and load carried thereby passes between said foot and the axis of said trunnion means, said frame having a fiat surface to engage a floor upon which said trunnion means are installed and to thereby cooperate with said trunnion means to support said frame in an alternative stable condition in which the axis of such coil is at an angle to the horizontal and a vertical line through the center of mass of said frame and its load extends downwardly between said fiat surface and the axis of said trunnion means.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 including means for tilting said frame from the first mentioned stable condition into the alternative stable condition.

4. The combination defined in claim 2, including means for tilting said frame from the first mentioned stable condition into the alternative stable condition, and a straightener carried by said frame and tiltable therewith whereby strip metal may pass from such coil to said straightener without twisting in either the first mentioned condition of said frame or the alternative stable condition thereof.

5. The combination defined in claim 2 including means for tilting said frame from the first mentioned stable condition into the alternative stable condition, and adjustable means for keeping such coil properly oriented and preventing axial shifting thereof when said frame is tilted.

6. The combination defined in claim 2 including means for tilting said frame from the first mentioned stable condition into the alternative stable condition, a disc freely rotatable on an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of such coil, and a member having a flat face parallel to the face of said disc, the faces of said disc and said flat faced member being adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate between them coils of various widths, said disc and said flat faced member being adapted to prevent a coil from shifting axially or becoming disorientated when said frame is tilted or such coil is being unwound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 760,323 Edwards May 17, 1904 1,869,004 Bedell et al July 26, 1932 2,329,832 Fouse Sept. 21, 1943 2,391,321 Littell Dec. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,877,961 March 17, 1959 Alvin F. Groll It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered atent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 42, for 'motors gearing" read motors and gearing column 4, line 25, for "table condition" read stable condition Signed and sealed this 30th day of June 1959.

SEAL) t'test:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

